


Best behaviour

by goddamnitaisha



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: M/M, fluff written for a friend, young sephiroth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-22
Updated: 2014-12-22
Packaged: 2018-03-02 20:59:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2825936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goddamnitaisha/pseuds/goddamnitaisha
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Newly appointed Director of the new SOLDIER department wins Specimen S'  attention. They learn to work together (well).</p>
            </blockquote>





	Best behaviour

"Faster, stronger, deadlier than any kid I've ever seen before," the swordsmaster said as Sephiroth fought in the simulator. His opponents were see-through lions now, wave after wave. The silver-haired child moved and froze, moved and froze  
"You see his grip, yeah, it's a bit difficult to see now, but he's got a particular way of holding the blade that flings any blood right of the sword."  
Lazard made a face.  
"So you're the future director?"  
"That's what they told me."  
The swordsman looked at him, then huffed a soft laugh. But right after that, the wrinkles in his face faded into a concentrated expression when he leaned in, and pushed the communicator-button. "Sephiroth, the new director is here to see you."  
Sephiroth didn't show up, but his mouth became a tighter line and he took a fraction of a second longer to strike out again.  
\- "Kid, don't slow down. Don't be shy."  
Sephiroth appeared insulted. He sped up, and paced to the exit. The young man opened the door with a surgeon's patience and precision, then stepped into the corridor.  
"Sephiroth!" the trainer put a hand on the young man's shoulder and Sephiroth's shoulder seemed to sag under its weight. The man steered him forward and Shin-Ra's favourite looked the other way.  
Lazard offered him a smile, and a hand. Sephiroth didn't take it, and he held it out a little higher, then brushed it through his hair and adjusted his glasses. "General, sorry to interrupt,. My name is Deusericus."  
Sephiroth gave no response. He towered over them, covered in sweat, but not panting and not smiling at all. In his green eyes there was war. Pain. Death. Desolation. Hatred. It was a void of never-ending and never-caring forest, and the SOLDIER never blinked.  
Lazard felt a chill run down his spine. The blonde's voice was an octave higher than usual. "In a few weeks, I will be your new director. If they don't change their minds, that is."  
Sephiroth's lips parted, and then he closed his mouth. "Why would they?" he asked softly.  
Lazard stared at him. "I.. don't imagine they will."  
"We will see each other then." Sephiroth shrugged off the swordmaster's hand and stepped forward. They didn't physically touch, but the aura of this large, muscled creature advancing like a predator pushed him aside. The SOLDIER moved on.  
The master or swords send Lazard an apologetic look. "We plucked him right out of the war, he's not used to things around here. He'll settle."  
Sephiroth pulled open the door to the changing room. No doubt he had heard them. But he said nothing.  
"I..." Lazard started, still watching him. "Did I say something wrong?"  
Sephiroth bowed his head and disappeared into the room.  
"Huh, na, it's fine. Don't take it personal. He's cold. You should've seen how he treats the Professor nowadays. He's certainly changed. For the better, most say. Grown up, so to speak."  
\- "He... fights well."  
-"Certainly! I hardly needed to a thing. A natural, that one. Born and bred to kill."

"Sephiroth," Lazard smiled as the SOLDIER General entered, and leaned back in his chair. It was still nice to have the desk in-between them. "How's it going?"  
"I am healthy."  
This was more small-talk information he'd good out of him for weeks. "Excellent," he smiled. "Any trouble with anything?"  
The boy did a half-shrug that was neither yes nor no.  
Lazard waited, then moved on to business. "I'd like you to come to Mrs Shin-Ra's birthday event.  
Sephiroth looked at him.  
Lazard stood up.  
A frown flickered over the silver eyebrows, gone in an instant.  
\- "Sephiroth, please."  
The General shook his head. His hair waved like a willow in the wind.  
"It would really help if you would just go to the event!"  
Sephiroth folded his arms over his chest. The conversation had barely even started, and he was withdrawing already.  
"It'll be bearable. Just a few people, a little over two hundred. You'll know most of them, they're all Shin-ra employees. The president and his turks, department heads-"  
A ripple went through Sephiroth.  
"-but that doesn't mean you have to talk to them," Lazard offered. "Just be there."  
"I would rather not."  
Lazard lift his hands in a helpless gesture, and glanced at the ceiling before rubbing his eyes. "Then what can I do? What can I do to make you come with me?"  
\- "Send me back."  
\- "I didn't catch that?"  
"Send me back," Sephiroth repeated. "I can't adjust here when my men are still fighting out there. There is a war going on. I won't stop. Not until they are in safety."  
"You know I can't do that."  
"I don't care about peace treaties!" Sephiroth's hands balled to fiists. "There's fighting going on as we speak. They don't keep their promises, why should we."  
Lazard shook his head, "No, no, no, that's not how it works. Help me fight the war from here."  
"Tch."  
"Help me in my work: come to the party with me. I'll smile and talk, and you only have to nod when I tell them how bad the war is and how badly we need finances for men, resources and medical purposes."  
That caught Sephiroth's attention.  
"Now you're listening, excellent. Escort me to the party. Three hours is all I ask - to show your face. "  
\- "Two."  
\- "Agreed." 

Sephiroth was most charming when he smiled. He didn't speak, or very little. He shook hands and offered polite nods. They stayed side-by side. It took Lazard some time to get used to the looming black shadow that followed him everywhere, but after three hours he stopped noticing him too much. He didn't register him any more as a threat, but now became a center of attention, and the Director stole glances at his General.  
After a particular long discussion between Director Scarlet and Director Deurericus, Lazard returned to a seat on the sofa. He lift his glass to passer-bys. "Four hours," he said.  
The lady next to him leaned in and crossed her legs over Lazard's. "What are you counting down for?"  
"Nothing."  
"No place to be?"  
"In my office, tomorrow morning at eight A.M."  
She laughed at that and put her head on Lazard's shoulder. "That means we still got lots of time to-"  
Sephiroth leaned in. He put his arm around Lazard's neck and brushed her head off. He didn't lift his arm. "This one is mine. Come on."  
Sephiroth pulled him up, and they stood. On their way to the exit people addressed them, but the Director didn't engage in conversations. Four hours was longer, much longer, than he'd even dared to hope. 

Five minutes later, they exited the lift. The SOLDIER floor was deserted. There were no 1rsts, 2nds or 3rds roaming the hallways any more. Most were sent out as a desperate last resort, and the rest was sleeping. They had too few men, too few means to set up a decent army the next three years. Their numbers were declining and Lazard was thinking about all of this when in that deserted dark corridor, Sephiroth grabbed him, pushed him. Lazard cartwheeled with his arms before he found the stability of the wall. The General's feet stepped between his.  
"General-?"  
Sephiroth leaned in. He stopped.  
Lazard could feel breath on his lips. "...Sephiroth."  
The silver-haired SOLDIER cocked his head to the side.  
Lazard looked at his face, but Sephiroth didn't look in his eyes. He didn't think he should, but he inched forward, pulled back.  
Like a worried bird approaching a hand with seeds, Sephiroth inched closer until the other was holding his breath. They could feel the head of each other's lips, body against body, and Sephiroth's hands on the wall beside his red ears. "So I'm yours, hm?"  
\- "You are my ticket to Wutai."  
\- "Nothing more?"  
\- "Nothing less."  
At least Lazard knew how important Wutai was to him.  
Then Sephiroth kissed him and the world disappeared.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
